This invention relates in general to the dispensing of individual articles from the top of a stack of such articles. More particularly, the invention relates to the dispensing one at a time of closely stacked or nested articles such as disposable plates made of paper or plastic.
Automatic dispensers of food service articles such as dishes, plates, trays, saucers, and the like are commonplace in restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, and other institutions where it is necessary to serve food quickly and efficiently to large numbers of people. Dispensers have been designed for installation in counters and in serving stations as well as in portable carts or carriers. The general design objective in all such dispensers is to make available conveniently at hand the top article of a stored stack of similar articles. As the top article is removed, a biasing mechanism generally in the form of a spring elevates the stack and the next article atop the stack takes the place of the one dispensed. Most such dispensers are equipped with levelling or balancing mechanisms which are adjustable to maintain the top article in a position where it is easily available irrespective of the number of articles remaining in the stack.
Although such dispensers and levelling mechanisms have been generally satisfactory when used in connection with conventional trays, dinnerware, crockery, or the like, they are not at all suitable when the articles being dispensed are relatively thin and light-weight. Items such as disposable paper or plastic plates are particularly troublesome. Most of the problems encountered stem from the tendency of the disposable plates to nest tightly together and to be difficult to separate individually from the top of the stack. Difficulties have also been encountered in loading the disposable articles against the force of the biasing means in the elongated storage tube normally used to contain the stacked column of articles.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to facilitate the dispensing of thin, light-weight articles.
Another object of the present invention is to avoid difficulty in separating a single thin article from the top of a stack of similar articles.
Still another object of the present invention is to modify the top of a dispenser to permit easy loading of a stack of thin disposable articles into an elongated storage tube containing a biasing mechanism.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser of disposable plates in which a simple flexible member is mounted at the top of the dispenser to deflect freely for loading of the dispenser.
Yet another object is to provide a stop at the top of the dispenser which serves to separate or fan the uppermost ones of a stack of disposable plates as they emerge from the dispenser.